Mystical Tarot Realms
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The Devil: Capricorn
Mr. M and the Allies of Capricorn
"That guy is scaring me, Mr. M," Claire whispers.
"He is certainly frightening, but before you dart away, I want you to try to see beneath appearances. The Hebrew letter for this path is 'Ayin' and the astrological symbol is Capricorn. 'Ayin' in Hebrew means eye. On this path, Ayin suggests the mind's eye, the 'third eye.' With the third eye, the invisible eye associated with the chakra in the center of the forehead, you can see deeper meanings beneath appearances. You can 'see,' or understand intuitively, and even understand The Devil, who personifies all that the world considers evil."
"It's really hard to look at the Devil. It's really hard to see beyond all the things that are evil and harm people and also beyond all that I've been taught."
"Yes, extremely hard. But remember that Capricorn is an Earth sign. The Kingdom is the culmination of all that God has created. In the Kingdom, we live in a spectrum of light and darkness, positive and negative. Some people channel the most negative, unbalanced forces for their own selfish or evil ends. Radical evil surfaces and spreads when many people manifest subtle forces for purely selfish or negative reasons. For instance, the greed of some people can destroy innumerable human lives and species and is even reaching the point of destroying the planet itself. The Devil in one way is scary because he reveals that you can use spiritual and mental and physical energies in a horribly negative way to benefit yourself while severely harming others--sometimes many, many others.
"Seeing that you are part of a community of all life on this planet, you can instead use those energies for the highest possible good of all, not just for selfish or evil purposes.
"Notice that this path leads from the sphere of the intellect to the sphere of harmony and balance known as Tiphareth, or 'Beauty' in Hebrew, and Tiphareth is the sphere of the cosmic Christ force. When you look at the Devil, you see the goat, the horned God, the epitome of the dynamic masculine life-force manifested in this realm. The life-force in the Kingdom manifests in one way as the powerful urge for reproduction, but remember that the life-force manifests on all levels in the Kingdom, the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual levels. You cannot say that the life-force is good on one or two or three levels only. If you do, you blaspheme against the Source of all creation. So many people want to cut the Tree off at its roots and live only in the spirit or the mind. That can only lead to terrible problems--indeed, to much of the evil that we encounter."
"So if you see with the mind's eye, you will see that all of life is sacred, even the physical world?"
"Oh, yes. All of the vibrations of energy in this vast cosmos are holy. All the different species of plants and animals have their own vibrations of energy, so to truly understand the earth and the sign of Capricorn, you need to become a like a shaman, to feel the vibrations of all the plants and animals, and in that way you can connect with all levels of the life-force in the natural world. One of the worst sins, in my opinion, is having a value system that cuts you off from knowing all the vibrations of the community of life because that cuts you off from the earth and from knowing the harmony and interrelatedness of the cosmos. You are unlikely to harm others solely for your own benefit if you understand that you are connected to everything else in the world.
"As a species, we kill to survive, but death for all individuals and species is a sacrifice that enables others in the web of life to live. Those who see beyond the material world know that death is but a transformation that all living things eventually experience. The key is sustaining and maintaining balance within the web of life.
"You can see the Devil as a sphinx with the legs of a bird, the body of a man, and the head of a goat, sitting on a black cube, which symbolizes earth. A man and a woman are chained to the block. The background is totally black, which suggests limitation and spiritual ignorance, the inability to see with the mind's eye.
"The world is always partially in darkness, but night is not an evil state. In fact, the devil is raising his right hand in blessing, with all four fingers held up, suggesting that one should see everything, one should not turn away from any part of creation. The man and woman, after all, only appear to be chained to the block, but they can easily escape if they lift off their chains. We may be chained by our senses to the physical world, but we can choose to move beyond the limiting values of materialism. Once we do, we can find ourselves in the Emanation of Beauty, the sphere of sacrifice and harmonizing love.
"In a sense, the Devil is terrible, for you must experience the symbolic death of initiation to know the divinity within all things. Initiation shatters the ego, and what is left is the higher self, which knows the One in the All, the Many in the One. To those who cannot see, the Devil appears to chain us in darkness. Those who cannot see that everything is connected might be tempted to work with unbalanced forces for their own personal gain. They might feel the sun but never feel part of the Source of all life on this planet. Matter is one form of divine energy. To know this is to know 'the Kingdom.'
"Some life forces are beyond our control, and some are horribly dark--and humanity eagerly continues to plumb the depths of evil. By experiencing darkness, we come to know the light, and we learn how to neutralize dark forces to create balance. When we learn this lesson we can continue on the path of Capricorn to the Emanation of Beauty--the Emanation of The Sun and the Son of the Holy Trinity where we experience 'The Vision of Harmony' and understand the meaning of sacrifice."
Two of Pentacles: Jupiter in Capricorn, Zodiac in Chokmah (Wisdom)
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"Oh, look, Mr. M, a juggler!" Claire exclaims.
"Yes, he is fun to watch, isn't he? But believe it or not, that juggler is a master of the energies of Jupiter in Capricorn. Our friend dances while juggling two pentacles inside of a green strip that forms an infinity symbol. Behind him, ships roll up and down, maintaining balance on the waves as your ally dances. He resembles a carnival figure on stage, a clown or a fool, but he also evokes the figure on the path known as The World, who is also caught up in the perpetual, ecstatic dance of being. In a sphere of great dynamic energy that has emanated directly from the Source itself, your ally, like the Fool, remains open and child-like, but he demonstrates the skill and wisdom necessary to balance the powerful life forces--even the darkest ones. He can neutralize dark forces to create balance. He responds with resilience, an eternal child, to all of the rhythms and vicissitudes of life. Innocent yet wise, aware of the infinitude within, your ally skillfully handles changes and the life-forces as they manifest in all of their diversity."
"I want to be like him, Mr. M!"
"I do too, dear child! I do too."
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Three of Pentacles: Mars in Capricorn, Saturn in Binah (Understanding)
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"Look, Mr. M, we're back in the church, and those men are still working," Claire whispers.
"Yes, indeed, it takes a great deal of work and cooperation to build an edifice as magnificent as a cathedral. Together, they are using their mental abilities, their spiritual understanding, and their technical know-how to continue a project that might take many years to complete. They might not even still be alive when it's finished. Nevertheless, they continue working for the highest good of the community. Out of the darkness, they create a work of great beauty and profound spiritual meaning."
"Wow, you've got to respect that!" Claire exclaims.
"Oh, I do. I do. I really do!" Mr. M replies.
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Four of Pentacles: Sun in Capricorn, Jupiter in Chesed (Mercy)
(Click on a Pentacle Above to go to the Tarot Realms Store Page.)
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"Look, Mr. M, there is that King with the golden pentacles. I remember that he has something to do with the Sun, but does he also have something to do with Capricorn?" Claire asks.
"Indeed, he does! Remember that the pentagram symbolizes the harmony of the elements, as well as the powerful forces of the planets and the energies of the zodiac. Under the influence of Capricorn, the king brings that energy down through his crown and through his heart and down through his feet to the Earth. He harmoniously manifests all of those elemental and cosmic energies in the Kingdom for the highest possible good. In that way, he is bringing harmony to the world and neutralizing dark forces to create balance in the Kingdom."
"Wow, I want to be like him too!" Claire exclaims.
"You can, in your own unique way, be like all of our friends here in the Tarot Realms if you want," Mr. M replies.
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All stories, illustrations, and music Copyright © 2023 by Jim Robbins.
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Ten of Swords: Sun in Gemini
THE LORD OF RUIN
As Nathan was riding through the realm, he found the dead body of a man face down with ten swords in his back. The murdered man resembled a knight whom Nathan had known years ago, but Nathan couldn't be sure of the man's identity. Nathan wondered if the man had died in an ambush or during a robbery or during a fight to save someone. The dead man's fingers were curled in blessing as if he had died for justice or truth or some other noble cause. Nathan felt bitter about so many people ganging up against one man because it just didn't seem fair, and for a moment, Nathan felt afraid that, as a knight, he too would find himself in a battle where he was overwhelmingly outnumbered. As Nathan rode away, he shuddered to think what the dead man could have possibly done to deserve such a fate.
Queen of Swords​
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As Nathan rode near a stream, he came upon the Queen of Swords. Nathan dismounted from his steed and bowed. "How may I serve thee, my Queen?"
The Queen smiled. "You seem distressed, my devoted knight."
Nathan responded, "Yes, your Majesty, I just saw a man with ten swords in his back. He resembled a knight I used to know."
"That is tragic," the Queen responded. "Perhaps I knew the man."
"I believe his attackers had either carefully planned it or had acted as a mob to ruin him."
Still balancing her sword straight up and down, the Queen sadly nodded her head. "I have heard of this happening recently to our knights who are valiantly protecting the realm. Often people will band together to support some falsehood and destroy the life of someone fighting for a just and noble cause. You must be careful, for many people, even from a very young age, feel terribly vulnerable when they have negative experiences such as trauma, abuse, betrayal, abandonment, poverty, and loss, which leads to a deep sense of insecurity, so they band together and form a group mind that might be beneficial to them but also horribly destructive. I am convinced that nearly half the population would follow a con man who promises to protect them or save them because so many people need someone to alleviate their feelings of anger and fear and vulnerability. As a knight, you must be on your guard and learn to recognize this false mentality, for people will sometimes act like a pack of wolves to kill even a person who is working for their highest good.
"As a knight, you must know your higher self and remain balanced emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. You must release your own negative feelings and fully experience the harmonious powers of the Source of all Creation. That way you can more easily recognize when and why people as a group are becoming unbalanced, for people, due to this sense of vulnerability, can all too quickly turn into a mob with one aim only: to ruin or destroy others for the purpose of protecting or promoting their own interests or status in society. This is sad, indeed, my dear knight, for sometimes a person might be working for justice or truth to protect this realm and our beloved earth and be ruined or killed by people who prefer dominance and status over justice or truth. Some people cannot tolerate another person doing the right thing because they fear that it is a threat to their power or control."
"I will be extremely careful and follow thy sage advice, my queen, so that I may serve thee effectively and with honor." Nathan bowed, then mounted his horse and rode to a secluded part of the forest, where he created a make-shift altar.
The holy man in the castle had shown Nathan how to create a living image with the Tarot card known as The Sun, using the Ten of Swords as an example of how to transform a negative situation or energy into a positive one. The holy man had confided that the Ten of Swords is considered by many to be the worst card in the deck, and that he would not want to create a living image of the card's central figure. The way to overcome this problem, he said, is to find a living image in one of the modifying cards associated with the Tree of Life, in this case The Sun or The Lovers (Gemini). For this ritual, the holy man used the figure of the child on the white horse, the central figure of The Sun. In the Ten of Swords, the Sun peeks through the clouds, suggesting that the higher self reveals itself sometimes during even the most horrible betrayals and tragedies. The exuberant child on the white horse suggests a sense of renewal or rebirth, and since The Sun represents a path to Hod (Splendor), the Emanation of the intellect, the child also suggests the awakening of the intellect as well as the awakening of the higher self (both symbolically linked to The Sun). So, the holy man said, instead of just invoking The Sun, you can also banish fears of ruin, then create a living image of the child in The Sun.
So Nathan first chose to banish the Lord of Ruin. He started by placing the Ten of Swords in the center of his imaginary pentagram on an altar. Then, to banish the negative energies of the Lord of Ruin, he placed the foundation cards down in a banishing pentagram, beginning with the Ace of Pentacles, then laying down "Judgement," then the Ace of Wands, then the Ace of Swords, then the Ace of Cups and continuing the motion with his finger back to the Ace of Pentacles. Then he imagined releasing all negative feelings about betrayal and ruin into the fires under the surface of the earth.
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The Sun
Then he performed the first eleven steps of the Supreme Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram. (See the description of The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram and The Supreme Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram below.) Then he got ready to create an artificial elemental of the child in The Sun with the Tarot Pentagram Spread. He picked up the foundation cards and laid them down in a pentagram with the tops facing south on his altar. Since Fire is an active element, he used the Active Invoking Spirit Pentagram while laying down the cards, starting in the lower right corner of the pentagram, moving to the upper left corner and continuing from there. After he placed all of the cards, he tapped each card in the direction of the Active Invoking Spirit Pentagram, making sure to tap the one in the position of Fire in the lower right corner to complete the pentagram.
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Foundation Cards with the Sun
(Click on the Star Above to Review the LBRP and the SIRP.)
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Then he placed The Sun in the middle of the pentagram, saying, "The Sun," and tapped the card.
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Pentagram for Spirit
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Then he drew the Active Invoking Spirit Pentagram and the spirit wheel in brilliant white above The Sun on the altar, charging the pentagram and the symbol in the usual way with the Sign of the Enterer. After that, he drew an Invoking Pentagram for Fire directly over the Active Invoking Spirit Pentagram, charging the pentagram and the symbol of Leo in the usual way.
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​​Invoking Pentagram for Fire
(Click on the Star Above to go to the Tarot Realms Store Page.)
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At that point, he imagined the symbol of Leo becoming the living image of the figure of the child in the The Sun. He imagined the figure moving a few feet south of the altar and coming alive as a full-length figure on a white horse. As he visualized the living image of the Tarot card, he imagined that salamanders, brilliant points of light, flowed from the Archangel Michael and filled the living image while at the same time tiny points of fiery light emanated from his aura and filled the living image as well.
He stated, "I name you Child of The Sun."
Then he said, "Provide the light of the higher self from my soul in all circumstances to guide me for the highest possible good of this realm."
Then he stated, "Perform this task and return to the element of Fire, doing no harm."
He ended by saying, "So mote it be!" He imagined for a few minutes the living image of The Sun providing the light of the higher self even in the worst circumstances. Nathan finished the Supreme Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram with the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram.
He unexpectedly felt the light of The Sun often afterwards, and he knew that the higher self was always guiding him.
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All stories, illustrations, and music Copyright © 2023 by Jim Robbins.
Temperance: Sagittarius, Path 25
Mr. M and the Allies of Sagittarius
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"Look, Mr. M, it's the Archangel Michael! We've met him before!" Claire exclaims. "I can't tell, Mr. M. Is that water or some other kind of energy flowing from one cup to the other?"
"Yes, my child. On this path, we encounter the great Archangel Michael, who rules the element of Fire. With one foot on land and one foot in the water, he is mixing liquids in two cups, which suggests mixing water with wine as an act of temperance, which is essentially an act that symbolizes balance. In the background a path leads to a crown glowing like the sun, which reveals that this is the path to the Emanation known as Beauty and eventually leads to the Source of all Creation beyond. The energy flowing between the cups perhaps jumps out at you because it suggests the balancing of energy, the conscious creation of balance and harmony. One foot of the Archangel is in the water, which suggests a connection with the subconscious mind, and the other is on the land, which suggests the conscious mind grounding itself on the earth, and the Archangel is harmonizing them to create and maintain the heightened consciousness of the higher self."
"That's really cool, Mr. M."
"Indeed. This path is on the middle pillar of the Tree of Life, and is therefore a path of balance. The two side-paths leading to Tiphareth, which means 'Beauty' as I just mentioned, each contain dangers of unbalanced force. ''The Devil,' for instance, presents the temptation of using the intellect only for personal gratification, of manifesting thought-forms as a sorcerer for selfish personal ends. The one that you will travel next, called 'Death,' contains the temptation of inertia, of passivity in the face of the forces of inevitable change. This middle path known as 'Temperance,' the 25th path, emphasizes the attainment of balance within our spiritual nature. The astrological sign associated with this path is Sagittarius, the archer, who is a centaur, a creature with both human and animal characteristics, a combination of the transient and the eternal."
"Are the middle paths the most important, Mr. M?"
"Not necessarily. The middle paths form the quickest route to Source, the Crown of Creation, and are by necessity the most balanced of the paths, but each path, remember, connects and balances the energies of two Emanations, two states of being on the Tree of Life. Each path helps us to harmonize energies within us. The Tree of Life, as you recall, contains three pillars: the left pillar, the Pillar of Severity; the right pillar, the Pillar of Mercy; and the middle pillar, the Pillar of Mildness. The left side, the Pillar of Severity, is essentially about form as it manifests on different levels of being, and the right side is essentially about force as it manifests on different levels of being. Some paths present greater chances of missing the mark of union with God, because they are more oriented toward either form or force, but all paths, remember, are part of one creation. The middle paths create a balance of form and force at different levels."
"So each path helps us to balance energies."
"Yes. In fact, we are traveling the path of the serpent Nehushtan because it reveals the best overall route to take up the Tree. By taking the path of the serpent, you ultimately experience and harmonize all spiritual energies within yourself. The Nehushtan is the bronze serpent on a pole. God told Moses to make it as a cure for the Israelites. In the process of building the Tree of Life in the aura and in the conscious mind as we follow the path of the serpent, our personal energy fields become in balance with the Universal Energy Field. That is one reason why we are meeting the Archangel Michael here, whose name means 'one who is like unto God.'
"The 25th path is called 'the path of the arrow,' suggesting the arrow that the centaur shoots heavenward. The centaur is similar to the God Horus in a significant way. Horus, remember, contains the energies of the eternal and the transient within him--one of his eyes is the sun, the other the moon. Like Anubis, he is an important God for our age. Anubis, remember, guides you into the underworld, into the subconscious. Horus takes you from the subconscious to soul consciousness--the super consciousness of the higher self, which is realized in 'Beauty,' the Emanation that balances the energies of the Tree."
"So balance is really, really important everywhere on the Tree. Right, Mr. M?"
"Yes, very much so. Balancing the energies within yourself as you progress on your path through the inner planes is essential. Whenever you connect with an Emanation, you open up the virtues and vices of that state of being. For instance, the virtue of Tiphareth is devotion to the great work, which is union with God, and its vice is pride. When you first touch the energies of the Emanation of equilibrium, you open up the possibility of oneness with the Source, but you also experience the negative pole of that Emanation, which is the selfishness that makes you believe that your individual ego is central to the universe. You must balance those energies within yourself, retaining your individuality while recognizing that you are a facet of the Source, one form of energy within a vast fabric of living energies all connected and interrelated. So many religious conflicts have occurred because people have touched the harmonizing energies of the Christ center, feeling a sense of oneness with creation, without realizing that they have to deal with the opposite tendency in their nature, which is separateness, the pride that makes them feel superior to others. So what do we end up with? Wars and conflict between people who have essentially the same aims. The outer struggles often reflect the inner struggles of people who are striving to harmonize the energies within them. One of the great challenges of spiritual development is the balancing of the polarized forces within our own natures while remembering that everything is divine energy, everything is holy, no matter where we are on the Tree.
"Remember that the Archangel told us that we might feel a sense of the oneness of all creation, a sense of harmony and balance that transcends human understanding--a sense impossible to explain because of all the conflict in the world. Remember that he told us that we might also understand that sacrifice is involved, the sacrifice of attachments and desires that bind us to the unbalanced aspects of the lower personality.
"Like Horus, the higher self knows the harmony of all creation, and through sacrifice the higher self balances all the forces of our nature. The higher self contains the balance of all forces, the harmony of the transitory and the eternal. The higher self knows the divinity within the manifested world and the underlying unity of all consciousness and can rise or descend at will on the Tree of Life. This path is also significant because it connects The Foundation, the ninth Emanation associated with The Moon, with Beauty, the sixth Emanation associated with The Sun. This path, in other words, directly connects the Holy Ghost with the Son of the Holy Trinity. After you are purified and dedicated and can see into the spiritual dimensions, the Holy Ghost presents spiritual symbols to the inner eye that represent spiritual principle. From there you can rise to the Emanation of The Sun where all dissolves in light and can experience harmonizing love and know the meaning of sacrifice. From there you can rise toward the Source and experience the underlying unity of all creation. All paths on the Tree of Life are significant because they help us to know the dimensions of Universal Consciousness, but the mystical Middle Pillar contains the paths that enable us to rise directly to the Source of all Creation."
"The Archangel Michael is so awesome, Mr. M!"
"Yes, all the Archangels are incredibly awesome. Together, they can enlighten us and neutralize dark forces and the unbalanced energies within us."
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The Eight of Wands: Mercury in Sagittarius, Mercury in Hod (Splendor)
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"Eight wands are flying across the sky. They are descending together at the same angle and almost the same rate down to the Earth, which, considering the heaviness of the wands, is a masterful feat of coordination. Together in flight, the wands suggest the proficiency and focus of the intellect, a quality of Mercury, but suggests also a mastery and knowing that flows from a place deeper than the conscious mind, recalling the way a Zen master, shooting an arrow in total darkness, hits the bulls-eye. In terms of the Tree of Life, it is no wonder that the path of Sagittarius lies between Yesod, a sphere of the Moon associated with the subconscious, and Tiphareth, the sphere of the Sun and the Higher Self. Sagittarius is an archer, and the flight of his arrow suggests the ascent of the mind to higher realms. Mercury also, in his role as the messenger of the Gods, is associated with unexpected intuitions that are communicated to the conscious mind from the spiritual dimensions and the higher self. The fact that we don't know where the wands are coming from suggests this difficulty in identifying exactly where intuitive knowledge originates--from the personal or the transpersonal, from a God or from a divine level of the self."
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​​​​The Nine of Wands: Moon in Sagittarius, Moon in Yesod (The Foundation)
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"Look, Mr. M, that poor guy is hurt!" Claire exclaims.
"Yes, our friend here is standing up with a little effort after suffering a blow to the head. He might be dazed, but he's ready for another challenge. The eight other wands standing up straight behind him suggest strength on other levels. Perhaps he has many allies who can come to his aid, or perhaps the wands signal strength on other levels of the psyche. The wands even suggest that he draws his strength from the other Emanations on the Tree of Life. Your ally is unwaveringly strong under the influence of the Moon in Sagittarius in a sphere known as Yesod, the Foundation. On the cosmic level, one of the two main characteristics of the Foundation is strength. The other quality, which might seem to be a contradiction at first, is the flux associated with water and the Moon. The strength inherent in the flux of the Foundation can be understood more easily in terms of a body of water like the ocean, with its constantly shifting waves and deep currents. The tides and waves and currents keep changing, but the the ocean remains a vast, powerful force. The Moon, also associated with the depths of the subconscious mind, is a strong influence on our friend at a personal level. His strength stems from a subconscious, spiritual source. The suit of Wands symbolizes the plane of spiritual will, a plane often buried deep within the subconscious mind of the individual. The sun shines on the moon, which in terms of the Tree of Life symbolically suggests the Higher Self stimulating subconscious motivations. Sagittarians are known for having strongly idealistic natures and indominatible spirits that can suffer many disappointments because of their passion for truth and justice. They tend to fight for causes they believe to be just and are often on the side of the underdog. Whether your ally is aware of it or not, these qualities stem from the Higher Self."
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Ten of Wands: Saturn in Sagittarius, Four Elements in Malkuth (The Kingdom)
(Click on the Wands above to go to the Tarot Realms Store Page.)
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"Look, Mr. M, there's that guy carrying those sticks!"
"Yes, indeed, our friend is still plugging away at his task. But notice again your ally carries the wands forward in an orderly fashion, and remember, he is feeling the influences of Saturn in Sagittarius. Your ally has too much to deal with, but the discipline of Saturn enables him to manage his burden. Your ally shows the heroic determination and endurance necessary to complete labors initiated by the fiery inspirations of the spirit. As I said before, your ally is grounded, able to bring projects to a successful conclusion, and does not shy away from responsibility. He looks like a common laborer, but he is comparable to a hero like Hercules as he manages the impulses of the spirit within the demands of the physical plane."
"He has an indomitable spirit!" Claire proclaims.
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All stories, illustrations, and music Copyright © 2023 by Jim Robbins.
Nine of Wands: Moon in Sagittarius
NINE OF WANDS: LORD OF GREAT STRENGTH
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As Nathan was riding through the realm, a gang of bandits ambushed him. Nathan was able to fight them off, but he was not wearing his armor at the time and experienced several terrible blows, one of which bloodied his head. He felt dazed but managed to find his way back to the castle, where he met with the King.
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The King of Wands
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The King looked at Nathan and then seemed to gaze far off into the distance. "I see, my courageous knight, that you are wounded. Where and why did this happen?"
"Your Majesty," Nathan replied. "While traveling through the southern part of the realm, I was attacked by bandits. I was able to fight them off, but they managed to land a few blows. Unfortunately I was outnumbered, so they were able to escape."
"You are brave indeed," the King replied. "I sense that there is more to you than just physical prowess. You are robust in battle, but you also have a strong character. I sense that you have touched the dimensions of Universal Consciousness and as a knight can use the powerful archetypal energies of the Tree of Life in the service of the realm for the highest possible good of our people." The King gazed at Nathan again but seemed to look through him. "Yes, I sense the energies of each Emanation of the Tree of Life alive within you. You know the peace and love at the heart of all creation and have experienced some of the great wisdom of the Father. Yes, and you also know the understanding and compassion of the Mother. You know the magnificence and power of the human spirit. And I see that you know the meaning of sacrifice and the victory of love and the splendor of the human mind, and all of that knowledge and experience with the energies of the Tree of Life adds up to great inner strength. And you have experienced rising toward the Source of all Creation and know the underlying unity of all things on the path of The Moon above the Emanation of Beauty. The holy man here in the castle has taught you well. You have performed a great service. Those lawless bandits won't get far, and now you know you're own inner strength through your spiritual practices. You must rest now and let others deal with the problem. You must take time to heal now, and the more you connect with the profound archetypal energies of the Tree of Life, the faster you will heal."
Nathan bowed and climbed the spiral staircase to his room, where he found a Tarot card that reflected his experience, the Nine of Wands. The holy man in the castle had told Nathan that the figure in the Nine of Wands, who is wounded and dazed, might not seem to be a positive living image, but if you look closer, you will see that it is an example of great spiritual strength in the face of suffering and adversity. When dealing with some cards that on the surface appear negative, it is often beneficial to look deeper before going to the Major Arcana Trumps for what seems to be a more positive image. One Major Arcana card associated with the Nine of Wands, The High Priestess, is a strong influence that can provide powerful archetypal energies associated with The Moon in Sagittarius and The Moon in The Foundation (Yesod). The High Priestess, the holy man said, is deeply connected to all of the Emanations of the Tree of Life and can make the archetypal energies come alive within you more powerfully every time you connect with her.
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The High Priestess: The Moon
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Nathan decided to create an artificial elemental of the The High Priestess with the Tarot Pentagram Spread and placed the cards down on his altar in the direction of the element of Water: west. In other words, he placed all the cards in the pentagram with the tops facing west on his altar. Since Water is a passive element, he used the Passive Invoking Spirit Pentagram while laying down the cards, starting in the lower left corner of the pentagram, moving to the upper right corner and continuing from there. After he placed all of the cards, he tapped each card in the direction of the Passoive Invoking Spirit Pentagram, making sure to tap the one in the position of Earth in the lower right corner to complete the pentagram.
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Foundation Cards with The High Priestess
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Then he placed the The High Priestess in the middle of the pentagram, saying, "The High Priestess, The Moon," and tapped the card.
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Invoking Pentagram for the Element of Water
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Then he drew the Passive Invoking Spirit Pentagram and the spirit wheel in the air in brilliant white above The High Priestess on the altar, charging the pentagram and the symbol in the usual way with the Sign of the Enterer. After that, draw an Invoking Pentagram for Water directly over the Passive Invoking Spirit Pentagram, charging the pentagram and the symbol of Scorpio in the usual way. At that point, he imagined the symbol of Scorpio becoming the living image of the figure in The High Priestess coming alive as a full-length figure. Then he imagined that the appropriate elementals, undines, flowed from the Archangel Gabriel and filled the living image while at the same time tiny gleaming points of Water flowed from his aura and fill the living image as well.
Then he said, "I name you The High Priestess, Goddess of The Moon."
Then he said, "From the astral light, provide me with great strength from the energies of the Emanations of the Tree of Life so that I may overcome suffering and conflict and live for the highest possible good," emphasizing one of the main spiritual principles revealed in the card.
He ended by saying, "So mote it be!" Then he imagined for a few minutes the living image of The High Priestess providing him with strength from the powerful archetypal energies of the Tree of Life to deal with great challenges and to overcome suffering and conflict.
Then he ended with the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram.
